Plateau railway new engine for Tibet's economic growth

Near the Nyingchi railway station, Nyima Chodron operates a Tibetan restaurant with her husband. The farmer from a nearby village said their restaurant has received more customers since the operation of the Lhasa-Nyingchi Railway, with the profit reaching 100,000 yuan (about 15,746 U.S. dollars) last year.

"I believe more guests will come when the epidemic ends," she said.

Government figures show that the per capita disposable income of urban and rural residents in the city of Nyingchi reached 41,346 yuan and 21,767 yuan, respectively, in 2021, up 13.3 percent and 15.8 percent over the previous year. The number of tourists in the city exceeded 10 million, and the tourism income reached a record high of 8.3 billion yuan.

Railway figures show that the Lhasa-Nyingchi Railway has transported 977,100 passengers since its opening. Up to 40,000 tonnes of cargo has arrived in Nyingchi by train.